It was reported that a man has been charged with having in his possesion for sale in the main street of Alice Springs, T-shirts and Baseball caps carrying the slogan "White Power Alice Springs". He also admitted removing his personalized vehicle number plates "because he feared reprisals if spotted!"

The Magistrates Court allowed an application for the suppression of his identity because he had "received threats since being publicly outed as the person responsible for the merchandise".

This whole issue is detestable and is an outright example of racism at it`s best ( or worst! ).

A citizen charged with Marihuana possession has his or her name splashed across the media, yet here we see a person charged with ( and admitting to ) outright racial vilification and his name is suppressed!

The question here that would concern a lot of citizens is the issue of whether the offender is a non-Australian of the type that relishes the principles and actions of the infamous Ku Klux Klan, bearing in mind the proximity of the Pine Gap Installation, or is it simply a case of a misguided person who sees the opportunity to exploit a very sensitive issue?

I believe that justice is NOT being served by hiding this person`s name or ethnicity, rather the opposite, by creating an situation of suspicion and frustration for all concerned!

Crackcup - while I agree that, on the face of it, this person appears to be an execrable toad - what purpose do you think would be served in publishing this twat's identity before he's convicted of the crime of which he's been charged?

I agree with your central point (I think) - i.e. that people who are charged with any kind of crime should not have their personal details published until they are convicted of that crime.

CJ:

The point I was trying to get across was basically is this "moral pervert" just a misguided youth who has a thing against coloured people, or is he one of the "shaft" dwellers from Pine Gap who is spreading the gospel of the KKK there in a town that could be ripe for the implantation of such vile ideals?

If the idiot`s name and ethnicity was disclosed it may just take the heat away from our friends from across the ocean, and at the same time nip in the bud a very despicable expression of racial disharmony!

Why should this wacker`s name be withheld from the public gaze, when he was stupid enough to publicly offer for sale his items of racial hatred, whilst many people in Alice would already know who he is, because of his actions?

Again I would ask how a thinking person could compare the seriousness of the crime of consuming pot ( with offender named ) against this crime of racial vilification in the heartland of the Aboriginal people?

Crackup,
I don't think the laws an ass in this example but simply reflect two issues.
- the cultural perceptions.
- proportional justice.
a What would be served by this nong (which I suggest he is),his family being victimised (Keep in mind the potential extremes of emotion being involved)?
Sure he deserves some punishment but let it be proportional to the crime.

If he was a US KKK nutter then let the court deport him.
If a local racist bigot I fail to see how it serves any useful purpose making a mater of him to his cause(sic). If he does it again or has done such before increase his punishment accordingly.

NB justice(incl prisons) are not solely about punishment but also rehabilitation. (albeit somewhat ineffectively at times) disproportionality merely increases/delays the problem not solves it.

No one should have their name mentioned until convicted. But you'd think this clown would need 'protection'. The police would get less co-operation if they named these vile bags of waste and they got stabbed to death next day.

Colour has everything to do with it, had his slogan been 'Green power' no one would have minded. Had it said 'Black Power' there would have been cheers.

Boy crackup, you really do have to much time on your hands.

Perhaps you should be more focussed on cleaning up your own people's acts before worrying about some guy with a slogan on a shirt.

Things like, public drunken behavour, petrol sniffing, drugs and the unwillingness to contribute to society by many indiginous people.

How about we help you hang this guy, providing you tidy up your back yard as well hey!

People in glass houses really shouldn't throw stones mate!

Crackup wants us to name and shame a guy with white power on his shirt.
I can just see the mobs attacking his house and maybe hurting innocent family members or bystanders in the process.

Why stop at this guy though? We should be naming and shaming all people who write or yell racist comments at others as well.

Then we would really have a war on our own shores.
A silly proposal altogether.

I think I get what Crackcup is saying and I also think I agree with it.

The idea that the person would be persecuted is a bit of a cop out. If the law, supposedly representing the wider society, strongly condemns racism, then there would be no point in persecution.

For example, a few years ago some film of police officers mocking deaths in custody at a dress up party were publicized all over the place along with the stiff punishment that was handed out. I don't recall hearing or reading about any vigilante action against them or their families.

Either a crime has been committed or it hasn't. Why should someone inciting racial hatred be given special priveleges over other offenders?

Anyway, the offender wasn't so worried about repercussions against himself or his family that he declined the opportunity to turn a quick dollar.

The 'white power' emblem is clearly meant to shout 'white superiority' and we know this because it's in the context of a long history of abuse and exploitation of other people. Not that all anglo people indulged in that of course; but the large majority remained oblivious or indifferent to it; not doing anything much to discourage it. I think we do need to raise strong objections.

Btw I'd be interested to know how many he sold.

Btw - I wonder if it would be a crime to put - White Inferiority! or White Weakness! on a T-shirt ? - or how that would be received by the public... Just turning it over in my mind ...

Btw - I wonder if it would be a crime to put - White Inferiority! or White Weakness! on a T-shirt ? - or how that would be received by the public... Just turning it over in my mind ...

It would not bother me at all. After all, the proof of the pudding is in the eating!

Sticks and stones!

On the other point, a crime in this country is not a crime until one is convicted. GET IT!

Now if the vigilantes of this country could get that through their thick skulls, we may well have seen some very different outcomes in recent trials of a certain member of the public that has been unable to get a fair trial.

Trial by media is another huge problem in this country.

Cases like Ferguson, Patel, that foreign doctor are all examples of why many people cannot get a fair trial in this country. The media has whipped the public into a frenzy, well, the vigilantes that is and bingo, our judicial system has just been weakened, all thanks to the media hype and all in the name of gaining 'TV ratings'.

But hey, even if these people, who are innocent by the way, until proven guilty, were to get a 'fair trial', that lot would have not been satisfied with the outcome anyway, so in essence, what is the point of having a judicial system anyway.

Take the case of DF.

He has been tried, exonerated; yet he cannot live life in peace all because the media use him as a 'marketing tool' for their ratings. It sucks!

And you're worried about some guy selling tee shirts with an offensive slogon on them.

Wow, you really do have to much time on your hands!

rehctub: Of course I get the innocent until proven guilty aspect.

Haha you and "too much time on your hands" - yet it isn't taking me any longer to post than you take to express your opinion. Have you got too much time on your hands as well?

DF was exonerated of something? What was that? Please give some details.

rehctub:

I rest my case!.... As the majority of responses to this Thread have shown, "Racism" is alive and well in this country, and the sad part is that it is aimed at the "real" Australians, the Aborigines who our own ancestors invaded and categorized as some form of primitive life form!

Suzieonline,
He was SELLING the Tees. A whole different level to wearing an inflammatory tee.

Certain crimes engender unreasonable reactions from certain sections of the community.

Pynchme
The police were punished mainly because they are supposed to be neutral and enforce the law not mock it. This offender isn't in the same position of enforcement.

As for repercussions none were REPORTED to the media. Keep in mind
"the us V them, brother officer" mind set. Only a moron would court that level of trouble. Especially since police-persons are people and no doubt in the ranks,there would have been views sacrificial lambs to the public. IMO the police were forced into a disproportional response.

IMO the media went on a feeding frenzy there too for it's own sensationalised motives. I have no problems with the media reporting the news but I do have problems with the WAY they do it acting as the incendiary then claiming innocence when things go pear shaped.

Rehctub.

I agree that this topic is an 'over' response (disproportional) to the crime.

As for your "if it had been anti white" I think you need to look a little deeper.Generally, 'whites' in Aust being the majority don't suffer the same prejudices as other minorities...and therefore more confident and less sensitive.
However, an indigenous person selling your tees would have resulted in him being beaten up etc.

It is ok for Greeks to refer to themselves as 'wogs' or send themselves up e.g. "wogs out of work". It is unacceptable for us to do so it's a matter of the target's sensitivities.
It isn't as absolute as you indicate

There's no hope of an indig person from Alice Springs bying one of these tees, they only by after the old one has fallen off.
What Alice needs is a ship load of BO killer, and smother the town in it.

Thanks Desmond for standing up as a shining example of all that is repulsive amongst us.

Btw - your grammar needs improvement. It portrays you as an illiterate thug. On the other hand; maybe you should just leave it as is.

Desmond,
Pynchme perhaps understated your attributes add fool or coward take your pick.

Crackcup - I agree with you that racism is rife in Australian society, and that this guy appears to be a good example of the ugly racist Aussie (as indeed does Desmond and a couple of others in this thread). I saw him interviewed on TV when the case first came to light and have no sympathy for him whatsoever.

However, the issue is bigger than the interests of an apparent lowlife like him. Given the assumption of innocence in our legal system until someone is proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt, I don't see that justice is served by publishing the personal details of a person who has only been charged with an offence - however vile that offence may be.

Indeed, it's quite possible that someone who is guilty of a crime could be able to avoid punishment if it can be demonstrated that they are unable to receive a fair trial because of jury contamination due to pre-trial prejudicial publicity. The same principle should apply to those charged with hate, drug or sex abuse offences.

Once someone has been found guilty in a properly constituted court of law, then by all means publish their personal details.

Get up there and live with the indig; you would soon come to a conclusion, about the viability of this mob in Alice Springs.
There is no future at all for them.
The best that could happen is to round them up and casterate them.
You cant put them in another tribes area, and you can't shift them into the desert.
They have became accustomed to the white mans poison. Paint fumes, petrol, grog,
Other areas don't have the same level of violence that is shown in Alice.
These people don't have the genetic make up, to intergrate into society.
White man has been drinking liquor for thousands of years. The indig; has been at it for probably 2or 3 generations.
You can't isolate them from grog, there will always be someone that will supply them. Money says it all.

Desmond,

I grew up in the NT and have lived Outback NT and Queensland most of my life; with a fair whack of time spent working with Aboriginal clients - individuals, families and communities.

Nobody should be "rounded up and castrated"; but if one was compelled to pick a candidate group - how about we choose the exploiters.

Heaping vile contempt on the people who are exploited isn't helping anyone except the predators.

Btw: When all of the hullaballoo about the NT intervention was happening re: child sexual abuse, three things were not mentioned too loudly or often:

1. That somewhere from half to most convictions for child sexual abuse of Aboriginal children was of white men.

2. That pornography was peddled to distant communities by white men; along with drugs and so on.

3. That a contingent of Aboriginal men from all over and made a public statement for other Aboriginal men to note, that they stood against abuse of women and children. No ifs, buts and insipid justification - just outright disapproval of the actions of those amongst them who were not honourable. I think that is pretty advanced; and something done in the dominant community only by brave and rare blokes.

I say the not mentioning of the abuse is a measured reaction.
When the indig; is crossbread they are completely different people.
Again it is a mater of genetics.
This is the only way these people will survive the longterm, intergrated with white people.
I don't see where i am racist ,i can just see the facts on the ground.
In their present form they are as useless as u no wat on a bull.
Whats racist about that, it is just fact.
These people will never have a life worth living.
My comments are against the indig; at Alice Springs only.

This tribe is a misfit, sadly, so what would your solution to the problems they have there be?
The only indig; in Alice working, are crossbred indig.
The problem is huge, and it is not going to be resolved by doing nothing.

Other areas don't have the same level of violence that is shown in Alice.

Yes, good point Desmond. Has anyone stopped and given consideration to the fact that some violent incident may well have actually prevoked this guy in the first place.

After all, he would not be the first 'white person' to have been abussed, bashed, robbed, or parhaps, all of the obove, by an indiginous member of society.

It's ok for these 'smaller minority' of 'unfortunates' to reak havoc in almost every community they reside in, but hey, let's just sweep that under the carpet and focus on the fact that some whittey has had a crack at them. A crack that may well have been prevoked.

And Crackup, my comment on 'having to much time on your hands' has nothing to do with posting on OLO, it is more to do with 'can't you find something more worthy to worry about, esspecially considering the mess your people are in and their apparent 'unwillingness' to improve.

You said; real" Australians. But who did they invade, as it has been proven that they were not the first to inhabit this land?

Pynchme
DF was exonorated of child sexual abuse.

The actions of this idiot are certainly racist but in terms of whether his name should be released compared to that of a marijuana user I would say his alleged crime carries the greater risk of reprisals. No-one is going to go out and bash anyone accused of marijuana use.

That said, while I would argue until he has been convicted of a crime he does deserve protection, I would add that those who commit other crimes should receive the same protections and privacy under the assumption of innocent until proven guilty.

rehctub:

It appears to me that you have a mistaken idea that I am an Aboriginal person, so I must enlighten you that I am in fact more white Anglo Saxon than you!

If my reaction to this "racism" peddler has prompted this unwarranted outburst about "the mess that my people are in!" I think that you will find that you would be running foul of a great number of white and Indigenous Australians!

I would take this opportunity to inform you that I have lived and worked in Alice Springs. I have spent a lot of time with Aborigines and I might be cavalier enough to say that I would prefer the company of those people to the likes of you and the other "white supremists" who have contributed their narrow-minded views to this Thread.

Desmond: The solutions are happening and come from amongst the communities - every community has a unique history and composite of problems and strengths.

However, attitudes like those displayed by you and others here are demoralizing, cruel, discouraging and unhelpful.

Why should people have 'Canberra solutions' imposed on them?

Just imagine if Australia was overrun by um - aliens who believed that
humans should be kept in pods (like in the Matrix); that the only breeding allowed would be by AI and between a select few. That we were no longer allowed to speak our language; create family units; pray or sing hymns; there were no vehicles or footy matches; no medicine such as we know it. The alien idea of healing consisted of drinking sea water; eating herbs and amputation. Our main task was to learn to read a space ship manual the size of war and peace in the alien language - if we couldn't do that we were considered of low intelligence and therefore not of breeding stock.
I wonder how good we'd all look about 100 years from now.

Do you think you'd resist having those things imposed on you; or would you conform to get the aliens' approval ?

What if there was one comfort available; unscrupulous aliens giving you something that could block out the reality for a day or so from time to time. Maybe that would help you cope? Maybe it wouldn't.

I think the capacity to cope and survive that Aboriginal people have displayed is nothing short of bloody amazing. If some of them don't meet your supposedly high standards too bad for you. Maybe something is wrong with your standards, rather than with people who refuse to conform to them.

rehctub: Exonerated of what crimes of child abuse?

'Exonerated' is a strong word - are you sure that's what you mean?

Re: Publishing the offender's name. My point is that whatever applies to other crimes should apply in this case. If names are published when people are charged then there is no reason that this fellow should be treated any differently. If names in other cases are not published until someone is proven guilty - then same should apply here.

Crackcup: <"I have spent a lot of time with Aborigines and I might be cavalier enough to say that I would prefer the company of those people to the likes of you and the other "white supremists" who have contributed their narrow-minded views to this Thread.">

I'd like to second that.

Pynchme,

Narrow minded? I think you are too kind.

Equating a group of indigenous as needing castration and their par less state as 'genetic?' are both obscenely offensive/inappropriate as it they are ignorant. I suggest that poster read 'Genetics for Dummies' and give up on "Eugenics for racist over Achievers"

I too have spent time in AS and I too ran across individuals of questionable personal habits, who denied obvious alcohol and substance abuse, practiced moral standards akin to septic tank scum. Not surprisingly only a few weren't white.

Hi Exam, CJ and others :)

*waving atcha*

(Excuse sporadic posting attendance these past couple of months;
and for a month or two yet. BB later :D)

Crackup, I am sorry for the missed identity. I to am true blue Aussie.

Now while you think I am racist, I can assure you I am not. I have some very good friends who are coloured folk, in fact, we often laugh and joke and have bets on the fotty.

I simply despise anyone who is given handouts, who then thums their noses at the very providors and continues to rape their children, beat their wives, sniff petrol, or paint and makes our streets unsafe for our own kids, the very streets we provide.

Now if speaking the facts offends you and others, then tough tihs to you.

Sticks and stones!

rehctub,

I think it was Martin Luther King jr who in context said. "we will remain racists until we can meet a person never before met, talk and ten minutes later not know what colour they were".

The best sign of a biased focused person are the following statements.
"some of my best friends are....." this implies tokenism and benevolence on the part of the speaker. True acceptance would be to not accept the notion. Refer to the opening example.

The other dead give away "I'm not (biased) but only telling the way it is......" is a justification for what the speaker knows is biased.

Again the true accepting person wouldn't generalise.

Sadly that is true of most of us the difference until then is how hard we try. Psychology suggests that if we can maintain a positive habit for 30-60 day without slipping back. After this time the positive has been 'internalised' and becomes part of the persons make up.

rehctub: << I have some very good friends who are coloured folk >>

Good grief. Quite so, examinator.

On topic: I've said my bit - I don't think that people who have been charged with any sort of crime but have yet to face a court should be publicly identified.

Hi Pynchme! :)

"But Mr. Donohue went on ABC Radio in Alice Springs today to make amends after receiving death threats." this quote from the article.

The man has an advertising problem solved by the fascist police and the oversensitive blacks.
The death threats are more reminiscent of the KKK tactics than anything else.

pynchme

You say these people have there own specific type of problems.
What ever it is you better come up with a solution pretty quick.
Alice Springs is not going to wait another couple of centuries for
your solutions to work.
These people need running out of town, and put a fence around them.
The Town gets visitors from all over the world, to see this going on
is a disgrace.
There's petrol in Alice that i did not recognise the brand, so i asked the attendant, i was assured it was normal unleaded, just unsniffable.
Alice is supposed to be a romantic town, i did not see this.
I saw filthy layabouts, leaning against walls, blocking the passage
of pedestrians. These people wander around expressionless, which is intimadating.

Are you for real Desmond?
I thought people like you wore white cloaks and pointy white hats back in the bad old days?

You don't offer any solution to the problem. You are failing to aknowledge any problem exists.
At least i offer something constructive.
You can't paint these people white and say we have fixed the problem.
Their inability to integrate is genetic, they just don't have the make up to socialise, they are lost people.
They must be separated from the town for their own good.

Desmond:

I am awaiting with trepidation your next illuminary revelation as to any "final solution" that you may have to offer us poor ignoramii to resolve "your" perceived threat to your future well-being whilst an Alice Springs dweller,.....I anticipate mind shattering statements such as "let`s establish termination camps" or maybe "Cyclon B showers" to cleanse yourself of this plague of your conceived sub-human nuisance values!

Desmond deary, I would suggest you stop watching those nasty KKK movies and remove your white pillow case so that we can see your face and try to understand exactly the sickness that makes a person like yourself become so warped and twisted in your own little world of "racial superiority" .....realise that it is not by choice that you were born white or whatever colour you really are, and you could have been living in a Town Camp, if the cards had fallen a different way!

No doubt some of your fellow racists will salute you in your contrived bid to outdo Reichmarshal Himmler and his ilk!.....but I hope the majority will abhor everything that you stand for!

Like most times, for every 'action', ther is also a 're-action'.

The reason out towns are becomming more populated by these 'transient' people, is due to the fact that grog has been banned from most, if not all, missions. Weipa is another prime example.

I have been fishing there for years now and something has changed, these people are everywhere.

A few years back they were allowed to come to town purchase their goods and returen to the missions.

Now, they tend to hang around towns, until they have exhuausted their funds, then return to their homes empty handed.

These are not racist comments, they are plain straightout facts. Go, see for yourself!

So back on topic, has anyone found out if this guys antics were in retaliation to how he was treated, or, was he just plain racist?